


Lone One of the Pack

by yuma (yuma_writes)



Series: Wahid of the Pack [1]
Category: The Brave (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Exhaustion, First Meetings, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Protectiveness, Team Feels, Trust Issues, Wolf Pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 04:33:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13605612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuma_writes/pseuds/yuma
Summary: He survived as an outsider. Therefore, he knew he didn't need a pack. Deputy Director Campbell, however, thought otherwise.(An alternate first time meeting in an alternate universe)





	Lone One of the Pack

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Tumblr photo I posted [ [here](http://yumawrites.tumblr.com/post/170650566957/eep-and-now-my-mind-spiraled-into-aus-with-this) ]
> 
> There is a sequel (sort of): [ [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13687590) ]

He didn't notice until it was too late.

The wolves circled Amir before he could react, padding silently towards him from all directions. Deputy Director Campbell had reminded him never to look at the wolves directly, never forget while they're uniformed as human, they often preferred to stalk as wolf. He again asked her then why she placed him with a team of shifters. She smiled sadly and only said it was a better match than with anyone else.

Amir was too hollowed out to dredge up the appropriate amount of surprise. He simply nodded and climbed into a C-130 for the eleven-hour flight to Incirlik.

The setting sun painted long shadows across the wolves' backs. The dusk shrouded their faces, leaving their eyes glinting like hard gems towards Amir. They hung back, tails straight out and alert, ears twitching as they considered the newcomer. 

Amir wondered if they smelled all he had done. He wondered if they smelled all the things he _should_ have done. He wondered did he really care whether they did or not. He stopped caring if the assignment to the Alpha 7 team was punishment or simply because he was no longer useful in getting intel. 

A large fawn-colored wolf canted its regal head at Amir. He wasn't the biggest of the pack, but it stood on all fours and filled the air with its presence. Amir caught a golden tint down its muscled back when it peeled away from its pack to stand before him. Amir struggled to lower his eyes, customary in greeting and acknowledging his intrusion. But he spent too many years playing the opposite. Against Campbell's advice, he met the wolf's gaze unflinching.

Behind Amir, the wolves snarled low and unhappy. Amir released a breath and dropped his gaze a fraction. Not much, only enough to appear respectful, just enough so he could keep the wolf within view.

The wolf snorted and the other wolves quieted. Its eyes were the color of a lake his family once visited when life was simpler for all of them. 

Amir's throat worked. He pushed down the sudden longing. This time, his eyes slid away because it ached to look and remember.

The wolf crept forward, its steps silent and measured as the wolf crossed the concrete, legs flexing as if it was prepared to dash across grass. It stopped a foot away. It stood up to Amir's hip, its eyes narrow and accessing. 

Amir stood still. Actually, he was too tired to do anything more than just stand there and wait. Fitting as that's what it felt like all he did among terrorists targeting both human and weres. They claimed they were hunting monsters when they were the real monsters. Fear made them lethal and merciless. It didn't matter if it was infidels or shifters. They struck in high numbers; high enough the world governments deemed them as a threat to everybody's security. 

Blood spilled was lives lost; no matter whom they were.

Amir often wondered when one of them would realize he was a traitor. Would they be quick and kill him, leaving his body on the road like the shifters they hunted down? Or would they practice their knife skills on him first instead of the recruits?

They never did find out, but Amir still jolted awake at every creak.

"Am I supposed to give you my hand to smell?" Amir inwardly winced. He didn't mean to sound…he wasn't sure how he sounded. 

Behind Amir, a growl rumbled. Another snapped its jaws. The growl silenced. 

The light-colored wolf's hackles rose, fur standing on end around its scruff like a golden collar. Its sleek whiskers quivered as the lips pulled back to show a glimpse of teeth. 

Amir winced, but he refused to flinch. His neck hurt as he forced himself to lock gazes with the wolf again. He ignored the growling behind him. He was good at ignoring things even as they ate his soul. He was just sick of ignoring them anymore. 

The wolf paused. It studied Amir, its head at a tilt as it considered Amir. Maybe it was debating which was more enjoyable: taking Amir down where he stood or giving chase. 

Amir's body ached at the thought of running. Not again. Not so soon when he could still taste the bile in the back of his throat.

After a moment, the wolf huffed, its exhale disturbing the whiskers on its own snout. It stretched its head towards the hand by Amir's side. It cast blue-green eyes up at Amir and then very deliberately and very loudly, sniffed. 

Amir felt a moist breath tickling his knuckles. When he looked down, reddish tinted ears twitched. Teeth bared in a lupine grin. 

"You must be Dalton," Amir mumbled. "Deputy Director Campbell said I would know who you are when I see you."

Dalton scoffed; fur bristled down its back like a gust of wind blew across it. The wolf shook its triangular shaped head and tilted up at Amir. The bared teeth gleamed, fangs peeking out like knife tips. Dalton studied Amir. Its tail dropped low between its hind legs. Paws spread out, pressing into concrete as they ready to push off into a pounce. 

Amir wished it was still in him to tense. 

The wolf lunged forward. 

And caught the edge of Amir's sleeve. 

Amir blinked. He gazed down numbly at his sleeve, a long-sleeved taupe button down he swiped off a clothesline in Damascus—no, Beirut or was it Mosul?—to cover the bloodstains on his t-shirt. Someone in Medical gave him a new t-shirt, but for some reason, Amir held onto the long sleeve. 

"Don't tear it," Amir told Dalton wearily. "It's not mine." He tested pulling his arm back, but his sleeve cuff was caught firmly within a massive jaw. 

The wolf scoffed. 

"I know I wasn't expected until tomorrow—I mean 0700, but—"

Another wolf, darker brown with streaks of charcoal black on its bushy tail, bumped the back of Amir's knees. 

Amir stumbled forward. Dalton neatly hopped away before Amir could step on him. But it still held onto Amir's sleeve. And started dragging him towards the hangar Amir stood watching for the past hour. 

Dalton tugged harder. The wolf behind Amir almost knocked him to his knees again. It was kind of rude, but when Amir told it, it only bared its teeth at him, its tail whipping left and right as quick as a windshield wiper. Amir couldn't remember what that meant; if that was good or bad. He knew the answer, but currently, it escaped him; he wasn't sure why he couldn't think of it right now. 

The two other wolves behind Amir hung back. One was black as ink, the largest of the pack; it woofed quietly before it sat back on its hindquarters. Its eyes were the color of fertile earth, rich from rain and serene with years. Its ears wiggled, in different directions. Amir was caught with the sense he was greeted hello. He cautiously nodded back.

The other was a sleek black shifter, the smallest of the group, a female but no less powerful. Her forelegs were thick and strong and it walked with an almost feline grace around Amir and the other wolves. It prowled in a wide circumference, the sun catching the caramels and bronze streaked all over its compact body. 

Impatient, Dalton tugged Amir's sleeve again. Somehow, the sleeve didn't tear.

Amir nodded. He supposed debriefing was in order. But as he stumbled into the bunker, he was surprised to discover Dalton steered him past the tables and couches and computers. It led Amir towards another building, attached to the hangar and to a lower bunk with crisp white sheets, the battered black duffel and prayer rug Amir sent ahead set down by the foot of it. 

Oh. 

Amir stared at Dalton. 

"Shouldn't we—"

The wolf trailing behind Amir snorted. Then abruptly rammed its head into Amir's knees.

Amir grunted as he fell ungainly into the bed. He scrambled up to a more dignified position and caught Dalton cuffing the other wolf with a paw. It didn't look like it hurt; the other wolf simply grinned at Dalton. It turned its grin to Amir, long pink tongue lolling out the side of its muzzle. Its ears wiggled and the unrepentant wolf loped out of the room.

Dalton woofed. It sounded like an order.

"All right," Amir muttered. The bed was a vaguely familiar surface. His body seemed to recognize the mattress. His limbs wanted to sink into the bed before Amir could steel himself against the indulgence. He needed to explore the area first, mark all the exits, pinpoint a spot he could bury a packet of passports and cash. It needed to be within reach, yet not easy to spot. Maybe the bunkbed adjacent to his with the odd pine tree air freshener hanging on the lower bed—

A water bottle bounced off Amir's chest. 

Amir grimaced. He caught the bottle before it rolled away. He splayed a hand on his chest. The old bruises throbbed. Terrorists granted trust rarely and often tested that trust with fists and knives. There was never time to let the old fully heal before the new ones joined them. 

Dalton snapped its jaws at the brown wolf who had returned with the water. The other yelped and scrabbled away, paws scratching and slipping on the floor. Outside, a flurry of barks and growls rose. A chair fell over. Something of glass broke.

"It's fine," Amir told Dalton as the wolf turned its head towards the door leading out. Amir took advantage of the distraction to crack open the bottle. He gave the contents a cautious sniff.

When Amir looked up, he realized Dalton stared with unblinking lake blue eyes, its ears folded down.

"Habit," Amir said, awkwardly. He made a show of drinking half the bottle. The cool liquid sloshed uncomfortably in his empty stomach.

Dalton barked airlessly. Its ears perked up again. The wolf came over and gingerly took the bottle from Amir's grip with its jaw. Its teeth didn't puncture the plastic. The wolf set the bottle down by Amir's bed—because apparently everybody gets a bed here—and dropped its head on Amir's mattress. It squeezed its eyes up towards Amir.

"Thank you for the water," Amir said tentatively because he wasn't sure or comfortable with the scrutiny. His brows knitted as a thought occurred.

"You're not going to stay like that during debrief, are you?" Amir stared uneasily at Dalton. "Campbell said you only shift for night training and I'm good with reading body language, but that's _human_ body language."

Dalton blinked. And grinned. Its fangs lengthened and dug into the mattress.

Amir inched deeper back into the bed.

"Sleep first?" Amir guessed.

The ears twitched again.

Amir nodded. "Maybe for an hour. It was a long flight." It was a long _life_. He felt brittle far beyond his years. The face on the mirror didn't match the decay he felt festering inside. 

Dalton scoffed.

"Two?" Amir tried.

A growl. The vibrations shook the bed.

Giving up, Amir eased down onto the mattress.

"Three," Amir decided out loud. He needed to…his exits…there was too much to do…

A damp nose poked Amir on the knee. A woof, as soft as the light in the sleeping quarters, sounded before paws clicked on concrete, fading.

Amir turned his head to watch Dalton leave. To his surprise, the wolf jumped up to a bed closest to the door. It yawned, its jaw stretching open to reveal an intimidating set of sharp teeth. The wolf dropped on its belly, its thick tail lashed around its hind legs.

Blue-green gems blinked across to Amir.

Amir's throat tightened. 

"No need to stay. I won't do anything." Amir turned to stare at a ceiling he couldn't quite focus on. He wearily scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, but the grittiness still gathered at the corners of his eyes.

Dalton yawned loudly. Its head settled on its front paws and the blue-green disappeared into the dim. A beat later, the wolf huffed into a low and rhythmic grumble.

Amir sank into the bed and savored the sensation of darkness as a friend instead of foe. He closed his eyes. He inhaled and thought he could smell the salty tang of a desert. Outside, a wolf howled triumphant and defiant. He found himself relaxing further, an unfamiliar feeling that snapped him awake moments later with his breath lodged in his throat.

In the other bed, Dalton loudly rumbled. Blue-green blinked in the darkness towards Amir's bed. A quiet bark, short and clear, bounced back towards Amir in the dark. 

"Okay," Amir breathed out, his eyes pulling lower as the word escaped him. "I'm all right. I'm fine."

The wolf grunted; its eyes stayed fixed on Amir.

A sound caught in Amir's throat. He cleared his throat; the effort burned. It made him wish he finished the water.

Footsteps approached.

Amir tensed. He slipped a hand under the pillow, only to remember the blade was still in his duffel.

What sounded like distant thunder rolled out into the dark. 

The footsteps stopped.

"Hey, Top, only wanted to go check on his vitals before dinner."

Dalton growled again.

A voice by the doorway exhaled. Amir sat up and stared at the shadow lingering by the door. He eyed the shape at the foot of the bed. He stretched a hand towards it.

"Look. They sent me the file. Just a BP and—"

Dalton barked sharply. 

Amir's hand jerked back from the bag.

The footsteps retreated.

Amir stared at the doorway, but nothing else filled the exit.

By the door, the bed creaked. Eyes gleamed iridescent, almost eternal, almost forgiving.

Amir paused, unsure of what to think about the odd thought that sprang up. He considered the dark shape in the bed across him.

Dalton grumbled. The wolf kneaded the mattress with its huge paws and dropped heavily into the mattress. The bed creaked underneath.

A beat later, an eye popped open. Although it was only one eye, Amir thought it looked annoyed.

Amir held up his hands in surrender. Despite himself, he caught himself smiling as he settled back into the bed.

Dalton huffed and the bright colored squint vanished. The steady rumbling returned. 

Beyond the space, Amir heard noises. Man and wolf mixed with the muffled _whump-whump_ of a ventilation fan. He rolled to his side to block at least one ear. The room echoed strangely. Everything sounded like it was everywhere: multiplying, filling the air around him, closing in, watching, waiting, testing...

Dalton snorted. Its tail thumped loudly on the bed.

And just like that, the noises were only noises again.

"Thanks," Amir croaked. He wondered if Dalton knew it was for the thousand things Amir thought he wouldn't have or dare wish for.

The wolf scoffed. Eyes blinked lazily at Amir.

Amir rolled onto his back; he listened to the wolf breathe. He drifted back to sleep, aware of the steady lupine eyes watching him once more and of the wolves prowling outside. 

And if he dreamed, for once, he didn't remember.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I had to write a werewolf alternate universe for #TheBrave. Yes, I actually went there. Would say sorry, but then I would be lying. LOL. Thank you for indulging me. Okay, whew, got it out of my system. And now back to my other #TheBrave fic...
> 
> Fans for season 2, don't forget the hashtags!  
> #RenewTheBrave  
> #TheBrave
> 
>   
> Feedback is like cookies. I _like_ cookies!  
> 


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